The Correlation Between the Set of Mental Functions and Emotion Recognition Skills Formation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Research is devoted to revealing the relation of the complex of mental functions and their components with the ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions and with the success of learning this skill in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The set includes characteristics of the visual perception, properties of attention, properties of thinking and visual spatial analysis and synthesis. The study involved 19 children with ASD at the age of 6 to 12 years, including 2 girls and 17 boys. The training consisted of 12 sessions. Research showed that the success of emotion recognition from facial expressions in children with ASD associated with the level of development of visual spatial analysis and synthesis. It is also revealed that the success of emotion recognition training is connected with the level of development of visual spatial analysis and synthesis, abstract reasoning, and a concept formation.

General Information

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, higher mental functions, emotion recognition, visual spatial analysis and syn- thesis, abstract reasoning, concept formation

Journal rubric: Research & Diagnosis of ASD

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/autdd.2020180402

Funding. This research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Humanities research grant No 15-36-01343

Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful for research assistance provided by K. Fedoryaka and for design of pictures of emotions created by D. Tukhvatulina, M. Kanin

For citation: Mesnyankina K.K., Sarelaynen A.I., Anishchenko S.I., Kalinin K.B. The Correlation Between the Set of Mental Functions and Emotion Recognition Skills Formation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autizm i narusheniya razvitiya = Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2020. Vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 13–22. DOI: 10.17759/autdd.2020180402. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Kira K. Mesnyankina, Head, Autonomous Non-Profit Organization of Professional Assistance for Children with Learning and Social Difficulties “Inoe Detstvo”, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4386-926X, e-mail: k.mesnyankina@yandex.ru

Alexandra I. Sarelaynen, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Academy of Psychology and Pedagogy, Southern Federal University, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2275-233X, e-mail: saartavalla@mail.ru

Sergey I. Anishchenko, PhD, Research Associate, Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4010-0650, e-mail: sergey.anishenko@gmail.com

Konstantin B. Kalinin, Research Associate, Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8187-5607, e-mail: koster-mobile@mail.ru

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